Children from New Brunswick, Ontario, and Manitoba won for their depictions of how they “think first” when it comes to safety at home, at play, and on the move.

June 13, 2018 – “Is this conversation worth your life?” “Even the simplest choices can save your life and someone else’s.” “I put my helmet on to prevent me from hurting my head when I ride my bike or scooter!”

These messages, and many more, powerfully illustrated by children’s’ drawings, are among the winners of the 2018 I Think First contest run by Parachute, Canada’s national charity dedicated to injury prevention and sponsored by TD Bank Group, the sixth-largest bank in North America with branches that serve more than 25 million customers.

Students from Kindergarten to Grade 8 from across Canada were invited to submit creative art projects, explaining in their own words why and how they “Think First!” to prevent injury when they are active at play, school, or at home.

Based on the TD ThinkFirst For Kids curriculum, the goal of the contest is to highlight the importance of brain and spinal cord injury prevention. The top three winning classrooms receive a classroom set of helmets and a $500 gift card to Amazon, and the top five individual winners receive a $200 gift card to Amazon.

“Congratulations, on behalf of TD, to the winners of this year’s I Think First contest, aimed at shedding light on the importance of injury prevention for children in Canada” said Valérie Picher, Associate Vice-President, Community Relations, TD Bank Group. “When we educate children on protecting themselves from injury, we help to save lives which leads to a brighter future for Canada, free of preventable life-threatening injuries.”

View the winning entries.

Top three classrooms

  • Alison Smith, Belleisle Elementary School, Springfield, NB
  • Carol Lewerentz, Dunrankin Drive Public School, Mississauga, ON
  • Laura Gentile, Holy Ghost School, Winnipeg, MB

Top five individuals

  • Mya Chana, age 11, Trinity Montessori School, Markham, ON
  • Kaleah Henderson, age 9, Robert Moore Public School, Fort Frances, ON
  • Colyn Juan, age 12, Holy Ghost School, Winnipeg, MB
  • Serena Soc, age 11, Holy Ghost School, Winnipeg, MB
  • Shaun George Thomas, age 11, Dunrankin Drive Public School, Mississauga, ON

“I was blown away by the creativity and thoughtfulness the children put into their work,” says Steve Podborski, Parachute’s President and CEO, and one of the contest judges along with:

  • Dr. Richard Louis, Injury Prevention Specialist, NB Trauma Program
  • Randall Rixon, Director, Business Development, Affinity Market Group at TD Insurance
  • Leanne Shirtliffe, Author, Teacher and Blogger, Calgary, AB
  • Sue Todd, Illustrator, Sue Todd Illustration

For media requests, contact:
Kelley Teahen, Director, Communications & Marketing
media@parachutecanada.org
647 776-5128

About Parachute

Parachute is a national Canadian charity dedicated to reducing the devastating impact of preventable injuries. Injury is the No. 1 killer of Canadians aged 1 to 44, where one child dies every nine hours. The financial toll is staggering, with injury costing the Canadian economy $27 billion a year. Through education and advocacy, Parachute works to save lives and create a Canada free of serious injuries. For more information, visit us at parachute.ca and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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